Emergency phone with alternate number calling capability

ABSTRACT

An emergency-use-only cellular phone provides for contacting and establishing full-duplex voice communication with emergency personnel at either a public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service. The phone automatically places a cellular call to the public emergency response service with a single press of a first activation button, and to the private roadside assistance service with a single press of a second activation button. When either activation button is pressed, the following functions are initiated: (1) electrical power from a power supply is provided to a cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) the cellular receiver is activated to search for an available channel from among A or B cellular system channels, (3) an emergency telephone number corresponding to the selected service is accessed from memory, and (4) the cellular transmitter is activated to establish communication with the selected emergency response service. Since all of these functions are initiated by pressing one button, communication with the selected emergency response service may be established simply and speedily, even under stressful conditions. The phone may include a modular GPS receiver unit for providing location information to the public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service.

This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser.No. 09/538,364, filed Mar. 29, 2000, entitled PANIC BUTTON PHONE WITHSINGLE-BUTTON ACTIVATION, which is a continuation-in-part of patentapplication Ser. No. 09/495,080, filed Jan. 31, 2000, entitled PANICBUTTON PHONE, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.09/044,497, filed Mar. 19, 1998, which issued as U.S. Pat. No.6,044,257, entitled PANIC BUTTON PHONE.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention relates to cellular telephones for useonly in emergency situations. In particular, the present inventionrelates to a cellular telephone for calling a public emergency responsecenter or an emergency roadside assistance service.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, conventional, full-service cellular telephones have beenused in emergency situations to call for help from public emergencyresponse services by dialing 911. Placing such a call with aconventional cellular telephone requires performing the following steps:(1) pressing a POWER button to power-on the phone, (2) dialing theindividual numbers 9-1-1 on a keypad, and (3) pressing a SEND or CALLbutton. Such conventional phones may also be used to call for emergencyroadside assistance from a private assistance service, such as theAmerican Automobile Association (AAA), when a user has experienced amechanical failure while driving an automobile. Placing a call to theprivate assistance service with a conventional cellular phone requiresthat the above three steps be performed, except that typically a 1-800number for the private assistance service is dialed on the keypadinstead of 9-1-1.

Although this conventional procedure to place a cellular phone callseems to be straightforward, it becomes much more difficult when it mustbe accomplished during a stressful emergency situation, such asimmediately after an automobile accident or breakdown. During suchsituations, simplicity is critical. It is desirable that the user neednot have to remember any phone numbers to dial, or which of many keys topress to initiate a call.

It is also desirable to have a cellular telephone that is designed forlimited-use, such as in emergency situations only, thereby significantlyreducing the cost of cellular service.

Therefore, a cellular telephone is needed that may be used to call forhelp in emergency situations, is simple and straightforward to operate,and that may be operated at a minimal service charge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the above-listed needs, and eliminates theoversights, difficulties, and disadvantages of the prior art byproviding an emergency cellular telephone for establishing communicationwith multiple emergency response services. The phone allows a user tochoose between calling a public emergency response service, alsoreferred to as a Public Safety and Action Point (PSAP) or 911 callcenter, in immediate emergency situations, and calling a privateassistance service in situations where urgent services are desired, suchas roadside assistance. The call to the public emergency responseservice is placed by pressing a single public emergency response button,which is protected from inadvertent activation by a protective cover.The call to the private assistance service is placed by pressing asingle private assistance call button. Both call buttons require firmpressure thereupon for several seconds before activation is initiated,thereby preventing accidental activation.

Preferred embodiments of the phone include an audible siren that isactivated by simultaneously pressing a pair of buttons, one located oneither side of the phone housing, for approximately one second. Thesiren, by generating a 95 dB alarm signal, helps the user to draw theattention of passersby to an emergency situation or to discourage anattacker.

The phone is preferably powered by four standard AAA alkaline batteries,which typically provide over a year of service with no recharging. Thus,the phone may be stored away, such as in a glove compartment of anautomobile, for long periods of time and will be available when neededin an emergency situation. An alternate rechargeable battery pack modulemay also be attached to the phone. In some embodiments, this module alsoincludes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that is used toprovide position coordinates indicating the location of the caller tothe private assistance service or public emergency response service.

According to the invention, the phone comprises a handheld housinghaving a cellular transmitter, a cellular receiver, and a power supplydisposed therein. The cellular transmitter transmits only first andsecond outgoing cellular signals, where the first outgoing cellularsignal is for establishing a first communication session with a firstemergency response service and the second outgoing cellular signal isfor establishing a second communication session with a second emergencyresponse service. The cellular receiver receives only first and secondincoming cellular signals, where the first incoming cellular signal isreceived from the first emergency response service during the firstcommunication session, and the second incoming cellular signal isreceived from the second emergency response service during the secondcommunication session.

Attached to the housing is a first activation button that, if pressed afirst time when the telephone is in an off mode, causes the automaticinitiation of several functions. Pressing the first activation button(1) causes electrical power from the power supply to be provided to thecellular transmitter and receiver, (2) initiates activation of thecellular receiver to search for an available cellular system channel,and (3) initiates activation of the cellular transmitter to transmit thefirst outgoing cellular signal to establish communication with the firstemergency response service. Implementing a single activation button toinitiate all of these functions simplifies communication with the firstemergency response service in a stressful situation.

Also attached to the housing is a second activation button that, ifpressed a first time when the telephone is in the off mode, causes (1)the electrical power from the power supply to be provided to thecellular transmitter and receiver, (2) initiates activation of thecellular receiver to search for an available cellular system channel,and (3) initiates activation of the cellular transmitter to transmit thesecond outgoing cellular signal to establish communication with thesecond emergency response service. Thus, communication with the secondemergency response service is also simplified in a stressful situation.

The cellular transmitter is operable to transmit the first outgoingcellular signal to establish the first communication session regardlessof whether the transmitter had last established a first communicationsession or a second communication session. Further, the cellulartransmitter is operable to transmit the second outgoing cellular signalto establish the second communication session regardless of whether thetransmitter had last established a first communication session or asecond communication session. Thus, the operation of the phone is notlimited to any particular sequence of placing calls to the publicemergency response service and the private assistance service, therebyoffering greater flexibility than has previously been available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which likereference characters refer to like parts throughout the views, andwherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with a protective coverin an open position according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with the protectivecover in a closed position according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the emergency phone with the protectivecover in the open position according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 depicts a bottom view of the emergency phone according to apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a narrow side view of the emergency phone with theprotective cover in the closed position according to a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the emergency phone according toa preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 7A–C depict a functional flow diagram of a process forestablishing an emergency cellular communication with an emergencyresponse service according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a bottom view of the emergency phone with a batterycompartment revealed according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 9 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with the protectivecover in an open position according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to FIGS. 1–5, a preferred embodiment of an emergencycellular telephone 10 for summoning help in an emergency is shown. Theinternal components of the phone 10 are contained within a rigid housing12. The rigid housing 12 is preferably constructed of a durablematerial, such as polycarbonate, that will withstand being continuouslycarried in an individuals pocket or purse. Preferably, a protectivecover 14 is movably attached at one edge to the rigid housing 12 by apair of hinges 16. At the opposite edge of the cover 14 is a latch tab18 a that engages a latch pin 18 b on the housing when the cover 14 isin the closed position. Preferably, the cover 14 may be opened byapplying a gentle pulling force to the cover 14 to disengage the latchpin 18 b from the latch tab 18 a.

When the cover 14 is opened, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3, two largeactivation buttons 20 a and 20 b, are revealed. The button 20 a isreferred to herein as a first activation button or a 911 button. Thisfirst activation button 20 a is used to activate the phone 10 toestablish communication with a public emergency response service. Thebutton 20 b is referred to herein as the second activation button or theAAA button. The second activation button 20 b is used to activate thephone 10 to establish communication with a private roadside assistanceservice, such as the AAA. Depending on the given situation, a usersimply opens the cover 14 and presses the button 20 a or 20 b to summonhelp in an emergency situation. As described in more detail below, wheneither button 20 a or 20 b is pressed, the phone 10 powers up and beginsto establish cellular communication with the requested service.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second activationbutton 20 b is located on a side of the housing 12, such as in theposition of the alarm button 36 b. Thus, it should be appreciated thatthe invention is not limited to any particular position of the buttons20 a and 20 b on the phone 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the 911 button 20 a and the AAA button 20 bare the only control buttons on the phone 10 that are disposed beneaththe cover 14. Thus, when closed, the cover 14 prevents accidentalpressing of the buttons 20 a or 20 b which could inadvertently place acall to the public emergency response service or the private assistanceservice. Preferably, other functions provided by the phone 10, asdescribed hereinafter, may be activated when the cover 14 is closed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the phone 10includes three indicator lights 22, 24, and 26. The centermost of thethree lights is a low signal indicator light 22, which is preferably ared LED. On the right is a high signal indicator light 24, which ispreferably a green LED, and on the left is an in-use indicator light 26,which is preferably a yellow LED. The particular circumstances in whicheach of these lights is illuminated is described in more detailhereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 1–4, a low-profile radio-frequency antenna 30 isattached to the housing 12 for transmitting and receiving cellularsignals.

A speaker port 32 and a microphone port 34 are also provided in thehousing 12. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1–4, the microphone port 34 isuncovered and accessible when the cover 14 is in the open position(FIGS. 1 and 3) and in the closed position (FIG. 2). This feature allowsthe user to maintain a conversation with emergency response servicepersonnel, even with the cover 14 closed. It may be advantageous in manycircumstances to close the cover 14 after pressing the 911 button 20 aor the AAA button 20 b, thereby preventing accidental pressing of eitherbutton 20 a or 20 b while a call is in progress. As discussed in moredetail hereinafter, pressing either of the buttons 20 a or 20 b while acall is in progress could terminate the call. Therefore, closing thecover 14 after initiating the call helps to avoid premature termination.

A preferred embodiment of the phone 10 includes an audible alarm orsiren that alerts individuals in the immediate area that an emergencyexists. Preferably, the audible alarm is activated by simultaneouslypressing two alarm buttons 36 a and 36 b located on either side of thehousing 12. When the buttons 36 a and 36 b are pressed, an alarm typenoise is emitted from an alarm port 28 in the housing 12. The number ofdifferent sounds that could be produced is limitless but the soundproduced is preferably similar to that produced by a car alarm. In thepreferred embodiment, the audible alarm is deactivated by simultaneouslypressing the alarm buttons 36 a and 36 b again.

In order to minimize the cost of the cellular service needed to supportit, the emergency phone 10 is strictly limited to emergency use only.Governmental regulations currently prohibit cellular service providersfrom refusing calls to 911 emergency response centers, even if thecaller does not subscribe to a cellular service. Thus, the user mayplace 911 emergency calls using the phone 10 without having previouslycontracted for cellular service. As discussed in more detail below, thecost of cellular service for placing calls only to a single telephonenumber of a private assistance service, such as AAA, may be purchased ata rate far less than is typically paid for conventional cellularservice. Further, this cost may be included in a membership fee that theuser pays to the private organization that provides the roadsideassistance, such as AAA.

Another one of the primary benefits of limiting use of the phone 10 tocontacting only a public or a private emergency response service usingone of two activation buttons 20 a and 20 b is the resulting simplicityof operation. As shown in FIG. 1, the activation buttons 20 a and 20 bare relatively large in relation to the size of the housing 12. Thus,the buttons 20 a and 20 b are easy to locate during a stressfulemergency situation. Since only one button 20 a or 20 b need be pressedto initiate a call, even very young children or persons with an aversionto most electronic devices can be taught how to use the phone 10 toeasily summon help in an emergency. Further, the time required to summonthe emergency personnel is held to an absolute minimum. Almost as soonas the activation button 20 a or 20 b is pressed, the user has a verbalcommunications link to the public or private assistance service.

FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of the emergency phone 10 asviewed from the direction indicated by the arrows A—A in FIG. 2. Asshown in FIG. 5, the phone 10 includes an interface port 38 which isaccessible from outside the housing 12. As described in more detailbelow, the interface port 38 provides a programming and data transferinterface to allow modifications to the programming of the phone 10.

In addition to establishing cellular contact with an emergency responseservice, the emergency phone 10 may be configured to activate the homesecurity system of the user. Because the radio communications range ofthe emergency phone 10 is limited, the emergency phone 10 can onlycontact the user's home security system when the emergency phone 10 isclose to the home security system. Preferably, the radio communicationsrange of the emergency phone 10 extends to at least 500 feet from thehome security system. The home security system can react to theemergency phone's signal in a number of ways. In the preferredembodiment, the home security system turns the lights of the residenceon and off and activates any audible alarms that the home securitysystem uses. Turning on and off the house's lights and sounding the homesecurity system's audible alarms can be beneficial for a number ofreasons. First, the home security system alarm will only be activated ifthe emergency phone 10 is used when it is near the home. Thus, if theemergency situation involves an intruder or attacker, turning on thelights and sounding the alarms may scare the individual away. Secondly,turning on the lights and sounding the alarms will alert any individualsin or around the house that an emergency situation exists in or near thehouse. In addition, any of the variety of other functions typicallyperformed by a home security system can be triggered by the signal fromthe emergency phone 10.

An embodiment of the emergency phone 10 is also provided that contactsthe car alarm of the user. In a manner similar to that described forcontacting the home security system of the user, the emergency phone 10transmits a signal that activates the car alarm. The emergency phone 10will only be able to signal the car alarm if the user is near the carwhen the emergency phone 10 is activated. Thus, the car alarm will helpdraw attention to the area in which the emergency situation exists. Thiscould be especially beneficial if the emergency situation arose in aparking lot. Furthermore, if the car was just stolen, setting off thecar alarm will draw attention to the thief and the stolen car.

One embodiment of the phone 10 includes a visual alarm button 40 thatactivates a flashing light 42 mounted on the housing 12. The flashinglight 42 and the noise alarm serve similar functions. On the one handthey serve to scare off attackers, on the other hand they serve to drawattention to the individual requesting emergency assistance. Because theemergency phone 10 can be activated from anywhere that cellular serviceis available, the exact location of the caller may be unknown to theemergency response personnel. Thus, by drawing attention to theemergency phone 10 and its operator, the flashing light 42 and theaudible alarm may be very helpful to emergency response personnelattempting to locate the individual who summoned them.

As mentioned above, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes alocator function. The locator function provides the public or privateemergency response service the location of the emergency phone 10 at thetime it was activated. The locator function is implemented in a varietyof manners in different embodiments of the present invention. Oneembodiment involves the use of a GPS receiver. A GPS receiver utilizessignals from satellites orbiting the earth to determine the position ofthe receiver. When the first or second activation button 20 a or 20 b ispressed, the GPS receiver is activated to determine the location of thephone 10. The phone 10 then automatically transmits this positionalinformation to the emergency response service. Another embodiment of thepresent invention uses a cellular location system to determine theposition of the emergency phone 10, such as by triangulation. Thiscellular location system uses the strength and/or the relative phase ofa signal from the phone 10 received at different cellular stations todetermine the location of the phone 10. Positional information isextremely beneficial in an emergency situation because it allows theemergency response service to determine the location of the callerwithout requiring any input from the caller.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a block diagram of the electrical components ofa preferred embodiment of the emergency phone 10 is shown. Power for theelectrical components of the emergency phone 10 is supplied by a powersupply 44. In the preferred embodiment, the power supply 44 is a DCpower supply consisting of four replaceable AAA alkaline batteries.Alkaline batteries are preferred because they will allow a minimumcontinuous talk time of at least 30 minutes, are relatively inexpensive,are easily replaceable, and have a relatively long shelf-life betweenuses. Although lithium and nickel-cadmium batteries are typically thebatteries of choice for conventional cellular phones, such batteriesrequire constant recharging to maintain a useable voltage level. Suchbatteries are not preferred for use as the power supply 44 for theemergency phone 10 because they cannot maintain a charge during longperiods of nonuse. Since the emergency phone 10 may be stored away, suchas in an automobile glove compartment, for long periods between uses,long-life alkaline batteries are used in the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

As described in more detail below, the GPS location function of thephone 10 may be provided by an add-on GPS receiver module. In thatembodiment, the GPS module preferably includes a lithium ornickel-cadmium battery pack to provide adequate power for the phonecomponents within the housing 12 and for the components of the GPSmodule.

As described above, the preferred embodiment of the invention has fiveuser input buttons 36 a, 36 b, 20 a, 20 b, and 54. While these userinputs 36 a, 36 b, 20 a, 20 b, and 54 are shown and discussed aspush-buttons, it is understood that the inputs 36 a, 36 b, 20 a, 20 b,and 54 may operate switches, touch sensors, or other similar devices.

With reference to FIG. 6, a microprocessor 46 monitors the state of apair of alarm switches 27 a and 27 b which change state when the userpresses the alarm buttons 36 a and 36 b. When the microprocessor 46detects that the alarm switches 27 a–b have changed state at the sametime, the microprocessor 46 activates the audible alarm 48. As mentionedabove, when activated, the audible alarm 48 generates a siren-like audioalarm signal. Preferably, the audible alarm 48 is driven by an audiodriver circuit 50.

As described above, some embodiments include a flashing light 42.Preferably, the flashing light 42 is activated by a light driver circuit52 in response to the audible alarm buttons 36 a and 36 b or theactivation button 20 a being pressed. The flashing light 42 helps toalert individuals in the immediate area that an emergency situationexists. In addition, once emergency response personnel have beensummoned, the flashing light 42 can help the emergency personnel locatethe emergency phone 10 and, thus, the individual who summoned theassistance.

A home security alarm button 54 is also provided. When the home alarmbutton 54 is pressed, a home alarm signal is sent to the microprocessor46. In response to the home alarm signal, the microprocessor 46 producesan activation signal which is sent to a radio frequency transmitter 56.The radio frequency transmitter 56 conditions the activation signal andbroadcasts it on the antenna 30. The preferred radio frequencytransmitter 56 operates at about 310 MHz. The home security systemdetects the transmitted activation signal and responds accordingly. Asdiscussed in greater detail above, the response preferably at leastincludes turning on and off the exterior lights of the house andproducing an audible alarm.

In one embodiment, when either of the activation buttons 20 a and 20 bare pressed, the microprocessor 46 activates an automatic dialer 58, andthe automatic dialer 58 dials the telephone number of the selectedemergency response service. The telephone numbers may be stored in theautomatic dialer 58 itself. In an alternate embodiment, the memory 60 isprovided for storing the telephone numbers.

A cellular receiver 62 receives an incoming cellular signal from thepublic or private emergency response service and conditions the incomingsignal to produce an incoming voice signal. The cellular receiver 62 mayprovide the voice signal to a speaker 64 directly or through themicroprocessor 46 and the audio driver circuit 50, as shown in FIG. 6.

The operator of the emergency phone 10 can respond to the incomingsignal from the emergency response services by speaking into themicrophone 66. The microphone 66 converts the operator's speech into anoutgoing voice signal that is conditioned by the audio driver circuit 50and received by the microprocessor 46. The microprocessor 46 then sendsthe outgoing voice signal to a cellular transmitter 68, which generatesan outgoing cellular signal based thereon. In an alternate embodiment,the outgoing voice signal is sent directly from the microphone 66 to thecellular transmitter 68.

The emergency phone 10 is designed to use the cellular communicationstechnology that provides the most comprehensive coverage possible. Usingthe cellular technology that provides the largest possible coverage areais desirable because it minimizes the likelihood that the operator ofthe emergency phone 10 will be out of cellular communications range whenan emergency situations arises. While the coverage range of digitalcellular service providers is constantly increasing, the largest amountof cellular coverage is still provided by service providers using analogmodulation technology. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the cellularreceiver 62 and cellular transmitter 68 use analog modulationtechnology. Furthermore, because the amount of time actually spentcommunicating with the emergency phone 10 will likely be very low, thecellular receiver 62 and transmitter 68 components are designed formaximum range and minimal talk times.

In another alternative embodiment, the emergency phone 10 is designed toscan for a digital cellular provider. If a digital cellular serviceprovider is located, the emergency phone 10 will establish digitalcommunications with the digital service provider. If no digital serviceprovider is located, the emergency phone 10 then attempts to establishanalog cellular communications with an analog service provider.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, when the first or second activation button20 a or 20 b is pressed, the microprocessor 46 prompts a GPS receiver 70coupled to a GPS antenna 71 to determine the location of the emergencyphone 10. Once the GPS receiver 70 has determined the coordinates of theemergency phone 10, the GPS receiver 70 provides the coordinates to themicroprocessor 46. The microprocessor 46 then sends the locationcoordinates and the cellular system identification (SID) number of thephone 10 to the cellular transmitter 68, such as in the form of adigital string. The cellular transmitter 68 sends the locationcoordinates and the SID to the emergency response service by way of acellular telephone network. The location coordinates allow the emergencyresponse service to dispatch emergency personnel to the location fromwhich the call was placed without even questioning the caller.Transmission of the SID allows the private assistance service or thepublic response service to determine the identity of the owner of thephone 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes adecoder chip 79 for decoding a prompt or queue signal transmitted fromthe private assistance service or the public emergency response servicewhen a call has been established. The decoded prompt is provided to themicroprocessor 46 which, in response to the prompt, sends the locationcoordinates and the SID to the cellular transmitter 68 for transmissionto the connected service. In this way, the private assistance service orthe public emergency response service has this information availableeven before voice communication is established with the caller.

The microprocessor 46 is also coupled to the light driver circuit 52 forcontrolling activation of the low signal indicator light 22, the highsignal indicator light 24, and the in-use indicator light 26. Theparticular circumstances in which the microprocessor 46 causesactivation of each of these lights is described in more detailhereinafter.

FIGS. 7A and 7B depict a flow diagram of a sequence of events that areset in motion when either the first or second activation button 20 a or20 b is pressed to place an emergency call. The sequence of events isgenerally the same for when the phone 10 is activated by either button20 a or 20 b. However, there are some differences, as described in thefollowing discussion.

To gain access to the activation buttons 20 a and 20 b, the user firstopens the protective cover 14 (step 100). With the cover 14 in the openposition (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3), the user presses the activationbutton 20 a to place a call to a public emergency response service, orpresses the activation button 20 b to place a call to a privateassistance service, such as the AAA. When pressing either button 20 a or20 b, the user maintains pressure on the button 20 a or 20 b for atleast a minimum period of time, such as one second (step 102). The usermay then close the cover 14 (step 104) to prevent accidentallyterminating the call, which could occur if the button 20 a or 2 b isinadvertently pressed again. Of course, the emergency phone 10 is alsooperable to complete the call if the cover 14 remains in the openposition.

It is assumed for purposes of this description that the phone 10 is in apower-down mode prior to step 102. In other words, the cellulartransmitter 68, the cellular receiver 62, and the microprocessor 46 arepreferably drawing no power from the power supply 44. When the button 20a or 20 b is pressed a first time and held for at least the minimumperiod of time, the phone 10 is powered up (step 106). Preferably, themicroprocessor 46 powers-up and begins executing preprogrammedinstructions before power is provided to the receiver 62 and transmitter68. Alternatively, the microprocessor 46, the receiver 62, and thetransmitter 68 receive power simultaneously when the button 20 a or 20 bis pressed and held. In either case, when the microprocessor 46 ispowered on, it proceeds to retrieve system operating parameters from thememory device 60 (step 108). These operating parameters preferablyinclude an A/B preference parameter that indicates which cellularsystem, A or B, is preferred.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the A and B cellular systemseach include twenty-one cellular channels, with the A system channelsoccupying one frequency range and the B system channels occupyinganother frequency range. As required by FCC rules, both of these systemsare typically available in large metropolitan areas to providecompetition between cellular service providers. In some geographicalareas, only one of the systems may be available. If a conventionalcellular phone is receiving cellular service from a service provideroperating on the A system, that phone will prefer the A system over theB system, and will scan first for an available A system channel. If an Asystem channel is not available, the conventional phone will then scanfor a B system channel. If a B system channel is available, theconventional phone will use the available B system channel in what istypically referred to as a “roaming” mode. When roaming, the Asystem-preferred user typically pays a higher cost per call to use a Bsystem channel.

Since use of the emergency phone 10 to make a 911 call does not requirea cellular service agreement with any cellular service provider, thephone 10 need not prefer either cellular system over the other whenplacing a 911 call. Thus, when the phone 10 is activated by pressing thefirst activation button 20 a, the phone 10 may seek an available channelin either the A system or the B system.

Although current U.S. federal law requires that cellular serviceproviders pass all 911 calls, some cellular providers still do not doso. If the cellular provider does not pass the 911 call, the callertypically receives a busy signal or a recorded message indicating thatthe call cannot be completed. To remedy this situation, in oneembodiment, the phone 10 alternates which cellular system (A or B) onwhich it begins to dial for every other call. For example, if the firstcall is made on the A system and the caller receives a busy signal orrecorded message, the caller may disconnect the call, press the 911button 20 again, and the phone 10 makes the call on the B system.

With reference to FIG. 7A, after the microprocessor 46 has retrieved thesystem parameters from memory 60 (step 108), the receiver 62 of apreferred embodiment proceeds to scan first through B system channels(step 110) looking for a signal of sufficient strength to support acellular call (step 112). The B system preference is determined by theA/B preference parameter recalled from memory at step 108. If no signalis found in the B system channels having a signal strength greater thana minimum threshold value, the receiver 62 then scans through thecellular A system channels (step 114). If no signal is found in the Asystem channels having a signal strength greater than the minimumthreshold value, the low signal indicator light 22 is illuminated (step116), and the receiver 62 starts scanning the B system channels again(step 110). This process continues until a signal of sufficient strengthis found in the A or B system channels.

When an available channel having sufficient signal strength is found ineither the B system channels (step 112) or the A system channels (step118), the high signal indicator light 24 is illuminated (step 120). Ifmore than one channel having a signal strength greater than the minimumthreshold is found, the channel having the highest signal strength isselected for the call (step 122).

It should be appreciated that, depending on the preference parameterstored in the memory 60, the phone 10 could search for an availablechannel on the A system first, and then search in the B system if asignal of sufficient strength is not found in the A system. Thus, theA/B preference can be set at the time that the phone is manufactured bythe selection of the value of the preference parameter stored in memory60. As described in more detail below, this parameter may also bereprogrammed after the manufacture of the phone 10.

As shown in FIG. 7B, after channel selection, the microprocessor 46retrieves from the memory device 60 the telephone number of the selectedemergency response service (step 124). If the call was initiated bypressing the first activation button 20 a, then the telephone number ofthe public emergency response service is retrieved at step 124.Preferably, the telephone number of the public emergency responseservice is “911”, which is associated with all public emergency responsecenters in the United States. The telephone number stored in the memory60 for the private emergency response service, such as the AAA, ispreferably an eleven-digit 1-800 number that may be used throughout theUnited States.

When the telephone number of the public or private emergency responseservice has been retrieved from memory 60, the cellular transmitter 68transmits an outgoing cellular signal on the selected cellular channel(step 126) and the in-use indicator light 26 begins flashing (step 128).

Note that all of the events that have occurred thus far in the callingprocess (steps 106–128) have been initiated by pressing a single one ofthe activation buttons 20 a or 20 b. Thus, once powered-on, themicroprocessor 46 executes its preprogrammed instructions toautomatically scan for an available channel, retrieve the telephonenumber, and place the cellular call without any further action on thepart of the user.

At this point, the selected emergency response service answers the callfrom the emergency phone 10 by transmitting a cellular signal referredto herein as an incoming cellular signal. As shown in FIG. 7B, thereceiver 62 receives the incoming cellular signal (step 130), and thein-use indicator light 26 remains constantly on (step 132) to indicateto the user that communication with the emergency response service hasbeen established.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, once communication hasbeen established, the emergency response service transmits and thedecoder 79 receives the prompt signal (step 134). The microprocessor 46then retrieves the SID from memory 60 (step 136) and retrieves thelocation coordinates from the internal GPS receiver 70 or an externalGPS unit 74 (step 138). The transmitter 56 then transmits an outgoingcellular signal that includes the SID and location coordinates, such asin a digital data string (step 140). Preferably, the microphone 66 andthe speaker 64 are then enabled (step 142).

Based on the incoming cellular signal from the emergency responseservice, the receiver 62 produces an incoming voice signal (step 144),which is preferably an electrical audio signal. As shown in FIG. 7C, theincoming voice signal is provided to the speaker 64 to produce audiblesound (step 146). Typically, the audible sound produced by the speakerat this juncture will be the voice of a person at the emergency responseservice inquiring as to the nature of the emergency.

With continued reference to FIG. 7C, the user of the emergency phone 10speaks into the microphone port 34 to relay the nature/of the emergencyto the emergency response personnel (step 148). The microphone 66receives the audible sound of the user's voice and produces an outgoingvoice signal based thereon (step 150). The outgoing voice signal isprovided to the cellular transmitter 68 (step 152), and the transmitter68 transmits an outgoing cellular signal to the emergency responseservice based on the outgoing voice signal (step 154).

When the user wishes to terminate the call to the emergency responseservice, the user presses the button 20 a or 20 b (whichever one hadbeen pressed to initiate the call) for a second time, and holds thebutton 20 a or 20 b for a minimum period of time, such as one second(step 156). When the microprocessor 46 determines that the button 20 aor 20 b is pressed and held while the phone 10 is powered up, themicroprocessor 46 causes the phone 10 to power down. Requiring that thebutton 20 a or 20 b be held down for a minimum time prevents accidentaltermination of the emergency call due to an inadvertent pressing of oneof the buttons 20 a or 20 b.

Thus, as indicated by the flow chart of FIGS. 7A–C, all of the stepsinvolved in making an emergency telephone call to an emergency responseservice are accomplished by a single press of one activation button 20 aor 20 b on the emergency phone 10. This makes it much simpler for aperson who is distracted by a stressful situation, or who may be in someway incapacitated, to place an emergency call.

By comparison, using a conventional cellular phone to place a call to a911 emergency response service requires that a user press at least fourseparate control buttons: the power button once, the “9” button once,the “1” button twice, and the “SEND” button (or equivalent) once.Calling a 1-800 number to a private service such as the AAA furtherrequires pressing the additional digits in the phone number. To end acall and power-down a conventional cellular phone, the user musttypically press the “END” button (or equivalent) once, and then thepower button once. Thus, establishing and ending a 911 emergency callusing a conventional cellular phone requires at least seven presses offive different buttons. Only two presses of a single activation button20 a are required with the emergency phone 10 of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 6, the interface port 38, such as an RS232interface, allows the processor 46 of the emergency phone 10 tocommunicate with an external device. In one embodiment of the invention,the external device is a geographical locating device, such as anexternal GPS unit 74. In this embodiment, the GPS unit 74 providespositional coordinate data to the phone 10 by way of the interface port38. This positional data may then be transmitted to the public orprivate emergency response service to give the emergency responsepersonnel an exact position of the phone 10. Preferably, the GPS unit 74is in a relatively small modular housing which may be removablyconnected to the phone housing 12, such as by a latching mechanism. Themodular housing of the GPS unit 74 includes an interface connector thatmates with the interface port 38 when the housing of the GPS unit 74 isconnected to the phone housing 12. Alternatively, the GPS unit 74 maycommunicate with the interface port 38 by way of an interface cable.

As shown in FIG. 6, the GPS unit 74 preferably includes a modularmapping card 76. The mapping card 76 is a memory device which correlateslatitude/longitude coordinates, as typically provided by a GPS system,to X-Y (rectangular) coordinates in feet or miles. Preferably, the X-Ycoordinates provided by the mapping card 76 are relative to some locallandmark. In this manner, the positional data that the phone 10transmits to the emergency response service may be more easily used byemergency response personnel in mapping the exact position of theemergency phone 10.

As depicted in FIG. 8, in one embodiment of the invention, the standardbatteries 44 a–44 d may be replaced by a GPS/battery pack module 86. Inthis embodiment, GPS/battery pack module 86 includes the GPS unit 74integrated with a custom lithium, nickel-cadmium, or alkaline batterypack that powers the phone 10 and the GPS unit 74. When snapped intoplace on the phone housing 12, power contacts on the GPS/battery packmodule 86 engage corresponding battery contacts 88 in the batterycompartment 82, and an interface connector 90 on the module 86 makeconnection with the interface port 38 on the phone housing 12.

The interface port 38 is also useful in providing access to themicroprocessor 46 and memory 60 for programming purposes. For example,the interface port 38 may be used to change or update the outgoingemergency telephone numbers stored in the memory 60. This function isespecially important since there is no keypad such as is typically usedon conventional cellular phones for reprogramming purposes. As shown inFIG. 8, a phone number programming unit 78, such as a palm-top orlap-top computer, may be connected to the interface port 38 to providecommands to the processor 46 to store the outgoing telephone numbers tothe memory 60.

One skilled in the art will appreciate the interface port 38 may also beused to update the software instructions that are executed by theprocessor 46 when either of the activation buttons 20 a or 20 b arepressed. For example, the sequence of A/B cellular system scanning asdescribed above could be updated to take advantage of future changes incellular service provider procedures or future FCC rulings that mayaffect how 911 calls are handled by service providers. Also, systemparameters that are stored in the memory 60 may be updated by way of theinterface port 38. For example, the A/B system preference parameter maybe changed to prefer the A system channels over the B system channels,such that the A system channels are scanned first. This latter changemay be required when the contracted cellular service used to contact theprivate emergency response service is switched from one cellular serviceprovider to another.

As shown in FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes abattery compartment cover 80 which snaps securely into place on thehousing 12. Removal of the battery compartment cover 80 reveals thebattery compartment 82 as shown in FIG. 8. Within the batterycompartment 82 are preferably four batteries 44 a, 44 b, 44 c, and 44 d,such as AAA alkaline batteries, which comprise the power supply 44 (seeFIG. 6). In addition to the advantages discussed previously, these typesof batteries are preferred to power the emergency phone 10 because theyare so easy to find for purchase at most department stores, hardwarestores, grocery stores, and convenience stores. In contrast, considerthat conventional cellular phones require custom-sized battery packsthat are typically compatible only with one model of phone. Replacementbattery packs for conventional cellular phones typically may only befound at specialty stores, such as phone accessory stores or electronicsupply stores. Thus, because of the relative ease in finding replacementbatteries, the emergency phone 10 offers yet another significantadvantage over conventional cellular phones.

The design of the battery compartment 82 and the battery compartmentcover 80 of the emergency phone 10 also makes the emergency phone 10more rugged than the conventional cellular phone. In most conventionalcellular phones, the battery packs constitute a significant portion ofthe phone housing. Usually, the conventional cellular phone battery packis integrated into a single modular unit which may be snapped into placeto form a portion of the phone housing. If the conventional phone isdropped or hit, the conventional battery pack is susceptible to beingdislodged from the phone housing. If this were to occur during anemergency call, communication with the emergency response center wouldbe lost.

In contrast, the preferred embodiment of the emergency phone 10 issignificantly less susceptible to battery failure, even if the phone 10is dropped or jarred. First, the battery compartment cover 80 providesprotection for the batteries 44 a–44 d held within the compartment 82.Further, since the batteries 44 a–44 d are separate from the cover 80,an impact which may dislodge the cover 80 would not necessarily dislodgethe batteries 44 a–44 d. Thus, the emergency phone 10 could remainoperational even if the battery compartment cover 80 comes off.

FIG. 9 illustrates yet another advantageous feature of the emergencyphone 10. When the protective cover 14 is in the open position,operation instructions 84 are visible to the user on the inside surfaceof the cover 14. Preferably, these operation instructions 84 includewritten and illustrated instructions on how to use the phone 10 to placea call to the public or private emergency response service, and how toactivate the audible alarm 48. These instructions 84 may be screenprinted directly onto the inside surface of the plastic cover 14, or arepreferably printed on a stick-on label which is applied to the insidesurface of the cover 14.

Of course, since only one button 20 a or 20 b is used to activate thephone and place a call, the instructions 84 are simple andstraightforward. However, the first time that a user actually needs touse the phone 10 may be in the midst of a stressful, confusing, ordangerous situation. In such a situation, having the operatinginstructions 84 provided inside the cover 14 could save valuable time.Also, since the emergency phone 10 is intended for emergency use only,considerable time may pass between uses. Because the phone 10 may not beused very often, even though the user may have used the phone 10 before,the user may forget how it operates when the user is in a stressfulsituation. Thus, the operation instructions 84 provide a handy and quickreminder.

While the invention has been described in detail, it is to be expresslyunderstood that it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevantart that the invention may be modified without departing from the spiritof the invention. Various changes of form, design or arrangement may bemade to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Therefore, the above mentioned description is to beconsidered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of theinvention is that defined in the following claims.

1. An emergency cellular telephone for establishing communication withmultiple emergency response services, comprising: a handheld housing; acellular transmitter disposed within the housing for transmitting onlyfirst and second outgoing cellular signals, the first outgoing cellularsignal for establishing a first communication session with a firstemergency response service and the second outgoing cellular signal forestablishing a second communication session with a second emergencyresponse service; a cellular receiver disposed within the housing forreceiving only first and second incoming cellular signals, the firstincoming cellular signal received from the first emergency responseservice during the first communication session, and the second incomingcellular signal received from the second emergency response serviceduring the second communication session; a power supply disposed withinthe housing for supplying electrical power for the telephone; a firstactivation button attached to the housing that, if pressed a first timewhen the telephone is in an off mode, causes the electrical power fromthe power supply to be provided to the cellular transmitter andreceiver, initiates activation of the cellular receiver to search for anavailable cellular system channel, and initiates activation of thecellular transmitter to transmit the first outgoing cellular signal toestablish communication with the first emergency response service,thereby simplifying communication with the first emergency responseservice in a stressful situation; a second activation button attached tothe housing that, if pressed a first time when the telephone is in theoff mode, causes the electrical power from the power supply to beprovided to the cellular transmitter and receiver, initiates activationof the cellular receiver to search for an available cellular systemchannel, and initiates activation of the cellular transmitter totransmit the second outgoing cellular signal to establish communicationwith the second emergency response service, thereby simplifyingcommunication with the second emergency response service in a stressfulsituation; and the cellular transmitter operable to transmit the firstoutgoing cellular signal to establish the first communication sessionregardless of whether the transmitter had last established a firstcommunication session or a second communication session, and operable totransmit the second outgoing cellular signal to establish the secondcommunication session regardless of whether the transmitter had lastestablished a first communication session or a second communicationsession.
 2. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 1 furthercomprising: a microprocessor for controlling the emergency cellulartelephone based on execution of a first or second set of operationalinstructions; the first activation button, when pressed a first time,causing the electrical power from the power supply to be provided to themicroprocessor, thereby energizing the microprocessor to begin executingthe first set of operational instructions; and the second activationbutton, when pressed a first time, causing the electrical power from thepower supply to be provided to the microprocessor, thereby energizingthe microprocessor to begin executing the second set of operationalinstructions.
 3. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 2 furthercomprising: a modular Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver unitoperable to mechanically engage the handheld housing as a snap-onmodule, the GPS receiver unit including a GPS receiver for generatinglocation coordinates of the telephone; and the microprocessor forreceiving the location coordinates from the GPS receiver and providingthe location coordinates to the cellular transmitter; and the cellulartransmitter for transmitting the location coordinates to the first orsecond emergency response services.
 4. The emergency cellular telephoneof claim 3 further comprising: a battery compartment disposed within thehousing; an interface port disposed on the housing and providingelectrical connection to the microprocessor; and the modular GPSreceiver unit further comprising: a battery pack integrated with the GPSreceiver, the battery pack operable to be inserted into the batterycompartment of the telephone housing when the GPS receiver unit ismechanically engaged with the telephone housing, the battery packthereby serving as the power supply for the telephone; and an interfaceconnector mechanically operable to engage the interface port when theGPS receiver unit is mechanically engaged with the telephone housing,for providing electrical connection between the GPS receiver and themicroprocessor.
 5. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 3 furthercomprising: a decoder for receiving a prompt signal from the first orsecond emergency response service after cellular communication has beenestablished therewith, and for providing the prompt signal to themicroprocessor; and the microprocessor for providing the locationcoordinates to the cellular transmitter upon receipt of the promptsignal from the decoder.
 6. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 5further comprising: a memory device for storing an identification numberassociated with the telephone; the microprocessor further for retrievingthe identification number from the memory device and for providing theidentification number to the cellular transmitter upon receipt of theprompt signal from the decoder; and the cellular transmitter fortransmitting the identification number to the first or second emergencyresponse services.
 7. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 1further comprising: a memory device for storing an identification numberassociated with the telephone; the microprocessor further for retrievingthe identification number from the memory device and for providing theidentification number to the cellular transmitter; and the cellulartransmitter for transmitting the identification number to the first orsecond emergency response services.
 8. The emergency cellular telephoneof claim 7 further comprising: a decoder for receiving a prompt signalfrom the first or second emergency response service after cellularcommunication has been established therewith, and for providing theprompt signal to the microprocessor; and the microprocessor forproviding the identification number to the cellular transmitter uponreceipt of the prompt signal from the decoder.
 9. The emergency cellulartelephone of claim 2 further comprising: the microprocessor forcontrolling the cellular receiver based on execution of the first orsecond set of operational instructions; the cellular receiver forscanning for a strongest cellular signal from among available cellularsystem channels based on the first set of operational instructionsexecuted by the microprocessor when the first activation button ispressed; and the cellular receiver for scanning for a strongest cellularsignal from among available cellular system channels based on the secondset of operational instructions executed by the microprocessor when thesecond activation button is pressed.
 10. The emergency cellulartelephone of claim 9 further comprising the microprocessor and receiverfor determining a strongest B cellular signal from among cellularsignals found in B cellular system channels when the first or secondactivation button is pressed the first time, for determining whether thestrongest B cellular signal has a signal strength greater than a minimumthreshold, and for determining a strongest A cellular signal from amongcellular signals found in A cellular system channels when the strongestB cellular signal has a signal strength less than the minimum threshold.11. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 9 further comprising themicroprocessor and receiver for determining a strongest A cellularsignal from among cellular signals found in A cellular system channelswhen the first or second activation button is pressed the first time,for determining whether the strongest A cellular signal has a signalstrength greater than a minimum threshold, and for determining astrongest B cellular signal from among cellular signals found in Bcellular system channels when the strongest A cellular signal has asignal strength less than the minimum threshold.
 12. The emergencycellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising: the first activationbutton for causing the emergency cellular telephone to terminatecommunication with the first emergency response service when the firstactivation button is pressed a second time that is subsequent to thefirst time; and the second activation button for causing the emergencycellular telephone to terminate communication with the second emergencyresponse service when the second activation button is pressed a secondtime that is subsequent to the first time.
 13. The emergency cellulartelephone of claim 9 further comprising: a memory device for storing afirst emergency telephone number associated with the first emergencyresponse service, and for storing a second emergency telephone numberassociated with the second emergency response service; themicroprocessor for accessing the first emergency telephone number fromthe memory device and for activating the cellular transmitter when thefirst activation button is pressed the first time and a signal strengthof the strongest signal is greater than a minimum threshold; themicroprocessor for accessing the second emergency telephone number fromthe memory device and for activating the cellular transmitter when thesecond activation button is pressed the first time and a signal strengthof the strongest signal is greater than a minimum threshold; thecellular transmitter for transmitting the first outgoing cellular signalwhen activated by the microprocessor to attempt to establish cellularcommunication with the first emergency response service associated withthe first emergency telephone number; and the cellular transmitter fortransmitting the second outgoing cellular signal when activated by themicroprocessor to attempt to establish cellular communication with thesecond emergency response service associated with the second emergencytelephone number.
 14. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 13further comprising the memory device for storing the first emergencytelephone number associated with a public emergency response service,and for storing the second emergency telephone number associated with aprivate customer assistance service.
 15. An emergency cellular telephonefor establishing communication with multiple emergency responseservices, comprising: a handheld housing; a cellular transmitterdisposed within the housing for transmitting only first and secondoutgoing cellular signals, the first outgoing cellular signal forestablishing a first communication session with a public emergencyresponse service and the second outgoing cellular signal forestablishing a second communication session with a private emergencyresponse service; a cellular receiver disposed within the housing forreceiving only first and second incoming cellular signals, the firstincoming cellular signal received from the public emergency responseservice during the first communication session, and the second incomingcellular signal received from the private emergency response serviceduring the second communication session; a memory device disposed withinthe housing for storing a first emergency telephone number associatedwith the public emergency response service, and a second emergencytelephone number associated with the private emergency response service;a microprocessor disposed within the housing for controlling thecellular receiver based on execution of a first or second set ofoperational instructions; a power supply disposed within the housing forsupplying electrical power for the telephone; a first activation buttonattached to the housing that, if pressed a first time when the telephoneis in an off mode, causes the electrical power from the power supply tobe provided to the cellular transmitter, the cellular receiver, and themicroprocessor, initiates the microprocessor to begin executing thefirst set of operational instructions, initiates activation of thecellular receiver to search for an available cellular system channel,and initiates activation of the cellular transmitter to transmit thefirst outgoing cellular signal to establish communication with thepublic emergency response service, thereby simplifying communicationwith the public emergency response service in a stressful situation; asecond activation button attached to the housing that, if pressed afirst time when the telephone is in the off mode, causes the electricalpower from the power supply to be provided to the cellular transmitter,the cellular receiver, and the microprocessor, initiates themicroprocessor to begin executing the second set of operationalinstructions, initiates activation of the cellular receiver to searchfor an available cellular system channel, and initiates activation ofthe cellular transmitter to transmit the second outgoing cellular signalto establish communication with the private emergency response service,thereby simplifying communication with the private emergency responseservice in a stressful situation; the cellular receiver further forscanning for a strongest cellular signal from among available cellularsystem channels based on the first set of operational instructionsexecuted by the microprocessor when the first activation button ispressed, and for scanning for a strongest cellular signal from amongavailable cellular system channels based on the second set ofoperational instructions executed by the microprocessor when the secondactivation button is pressed; the microprocessor further for accessingthe first emergency telephone number from the memory device and foractivating the cellular transmitter when the first activation button ispressed the first time and a signal strength of the strongest signal isgreater than a minimum threshold; the microprocessor further foraccessing the second emergency telephone number from the memory deviceand for activating the cellular transmitter when the second activationbutton is pressed the first time and the signal strength of thestrongest signal is greater than the minimum threshold; the cellulartransmitter further for transmitting the first outgoing cellular signalwhen activated by the microprocessor to attempt to establish the firstcommunication session with the public emergency response serviceassociated with the first emergency telephone number, and fortransmitting the second outgoing cellular signal when activated by themicroprocessor to attempt to establish the second communication with theprivate emergency response service associated with the second emergencytelephone number; the cellular transmitter further operable to transmitthe first outgoing cellular signal to establish the first communicationsession regardless of whether the telephone had last established a firstcommunication session or a second communication session, and operable totransmit the second outgoing cellular signal to establish the secondcommunication session regardless of whether the telephone had lastestablished a first communication session or a second communicationsession; the first activation button further for causing the emergencycellular telephone to terminate communication with the public emergencyresponse service when the first activation button is pressed a secondtime that is subsequent to the first time; and the second activationbutton further for causing the emergency cellular telephone to terminatecommunication with the private emergency response service when thesecond activation button is pressed a second time that is subsequent tothe first time.
 16. An emergency cellular telephone for establishingcommunication with multiple emergency response services, comprising: amemory device operable to store only a first telephone number and asecond telephone number, and no other telephone numbers; a first and asecond activation button, and no other activation buttons; a cellulartransmitter coupled to the first and second activation buttons, thetransmitter only operable when activated by pressure upon the first orsecond activation button, and for transmitting outgoing cellular signalswhen activated; a cellular receiver coupled to the first and secondactivation buttons, the receiver only operable to receive and processincoming cellular signals from a first emergency response serviceassociated with the first telephone number when activated a first timeby pressure upon the first activation button, the receiver only operableto receive and process incoming cellular signals from a second emergencyresponse service associated with the second telephone number whenactivated a first time by pressure upon the second activation button;and a microprocessor coupled to the memory device, the cellulartransmitter, the cellular receiver, and the first and second activationbuttons, the microprocessor only operable when activated by pressureupon the first or second activation button, the microprocessor foraccessing the memory device, retrieving the first telephone number, andproviding the first telephone number to the cellular transmitter whenactivated by pressure upon the first activation button, and foraccessing the memory device, retrieving the second telephone number, andproviding the second telephone number to the cellular transmitter whenactivated by pressure upon the second activation button.
 17. Theemergency cellular telephone of claim 16 further comprising: themicroprocessor for controlling the cellular receiver based on executionof a first or a second set of operational instructions; the cellularreceiver for scanning for a strongest cellular signal from amongavailable cellular system channels based on the first set of operationalinstructions executed by the microprocessor when the first activationbutton is pressed; and the cellular receiver for scanning for astrongest cellular signal from among available cellular system channelsbased on the second set of operational instructions executed by themicroprocessor when the second activation button is pressed.
 18. Theemergency cellular telephone of claim 17 further comprising themicroprocessor and receiver for determining a strongest B cellularsignal from among cellular signals found in B cellular system channelswhen the first or second activation button is pressed the first time,for determining whether the strongest B cellular signal has a signalstrength greater than a minimum threshold, and for determining astrongest A cellular signal from among cellular signals found in Acellular system channels when the strongest B cellular signal has asignal strength less than the minimum threshold.
 19. The emergencycellular telephone of claim 17 further comprising the microprocessor andreceiver for determining a strongest A cellular signal from amongcellular signals found in A cellular system channels when the first orsecond activation button is pressed the first time, for determiningwhether the strongest A cellular signal has a signal strength greaterthan a minimum threshold, and for determining a strongest B cellularsignal from among cellular signals found in B cellular system channelswhen the strongest A cellular signal has a signal strength less than theminimum threshold.
 20. The emergency cellular telephone of claim 16further comprising: the first activation button for causing theemergency cellular telephone to terminate communication with the firstemergency response service when the first activation button is pressed asecond time that is subsequent to the first time; and the secondactivation button for causing the emergency cellular telephone toterminate communication with the second emergency response service whenthe second activation button is pressed a second time that is subsequentto the first time.